Marcus Mariota: Should the Eagles “Do The Deal”?
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Keanon Lowe (7) celebrates after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) in the first quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2015 CFP National Championship Game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Since the hiring of the former Oregon Ducks head coach, Philadelphia Eagles fans have not stopped talking about the chance to land Marcus Mariota. Chip Kelly recruited Mariota and manufactured the nation’s most explosive collegiate offense with Mariota at the helm.
Even though Chip Kelly hasn’t coached Mariota for the past two seasons, the two still have a very strong relationship. Kelly has been asked about Mariota on numerous occasions throughout the offseason and Kelly has been consistent with his opinion of Mariota, calling him “The most talented kid I’ve ever coached.”
"He’s a special player, and he’s just got a gift for playing football,” Kelly said. “He’s everything you want. He can throw the ball, he can run. He’s the most talented kid I coached in college"
When asked about his former coach and the chance to team up with him again, Mariota implied that is would be a fun opportunity.
It’s no secret — Chip Kelly’s offense and Marcus Mariota’s skill-sets provide a match made in heaven, but unfortunately for these two love birds, this relationship will take a lot of work to become reality, rather than just a fantasy.
The Eagles are currently the owners of the 20th overall pick, and with Mariota’s resumé and strong combine performance, it is highly unlikely that he’ll fall to Eagles.
This is where the hard work comes in.
In order to acquire Mariota, the Eagles are going to have to pull off a huge trade to move from the 20th overall pick into the top-5, potentially top-10.
The closest thing we’ve seen to a trade of this magnitude is the one the Falcons and Browns conjured up in 2011, that saw the Falcons moving up from the 27th overall pick to the 6th overall pick to select Alabama’s Julio Jones. While it ended up working out for the Falcons, acquiring the 6th overall pick came at a steep price. The Falcons had to give up their 1st, 2nd and 4th round selections in the 2011 draft, as well as their 1st and 4th round picks in the 2012 draft.
The Eagles will most likely use this trade to help structure a move that would see them jump from the 20th pick into the top-10. Unlike the Falcons in 2011, however, the Eagles have someone on their roster teams trading with the Eagles covet.
Enter Nick Foles.
Next: A Foles Deal in the Making?